Chief Equity Officer

Company is seeking its inaugural Chief Equity Officer (CEqO) to provide vision and leadership across all aspects of the organization''s strategies and efforts to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion. Reporting directly to the President, the CEqO will work closely with the Executive team and the Senior Leadership team made up of all the Institute''s Vice Presidents. The CEqO will coordinate across the policy research centers, operational offices, DEI Council, equity-related method and practice groups (like the Racial Equity Analytics Lab, Community Engaged Methods group, and other projects coordinated by a new Office of Race and Equity Research), and affinity groups to build upon momentum and current strategies. The CEqO will lead the development of the next generation of a shared action plan that is clear, measurable, impactful, and fosters an organizational culture that provides agency, transparency, and shared accountability and offers continuous opportunities for learning and growth. The CEqO will be responsible for driving the execution of the plan while serving as the principal advocate for equity and inclusion at Company, training and supporting Company''s leadership and staff to foster inclusion, and motivating and inspiring all staff to sustain a commitment to DEI principles over time.Like many institutions around the country, Company''s thinking continues to evolve on how to reckon with principles of equity both in society and within our organizational climate and culture. Part of that work has included an internally developed Race and Equity Framework (version 1.0) to describe the organization''s current approach to promoting racial equity and becoming the broadly inclusive institution we envision. The Framework outlines current goals, theories of change, and priority activities aimed at addressing urgent issues and initiating longer-term change. Framework 1.0 includes three major goals:Climate: Company will identify and seek to remedy racism and discrimination''s impact within our own institution and strive to practice anti-racism in the workplace.Content: Company will expand capacity and build bodies of work to address structural racism and discrimination and increase racial justice and equity across all the domains in which Company works. Culture: Company''s culture will foster trust and learning, encourage openness to change, even when uncomfortable, provide transparency, and promote individual and collective pany is actively moving forward with many of the Framework''s 26 priority activities. The CEqO will find, therefore, a foundation upon which they can build for the next chapter. For example, the Centers and offices are each being supported to make their own DEI plans, drawing upon shared resources and best practices, although they are eager for additional leadership, support, and guidance. The new Office of Race and Equity Research is bringing in a great range of equity-oriented research projects, some of which will create new opportunities for staff development; and the cohort of eight Equity Scholars, formally arriving in January 2022, will expand the number of researchers with expertise on structural racism, providing further leadership and commitment across Company''s policy domains. Finally, Company management''s pledge to spend $5M in internal resources above prior spending levels on Framework related activities between 2020-2022 and the Company Board''s commitment of a special $2M draw from the endowment for the Equity Scholars are indicia of the institutional commitment that the CEqO will find.There is not just one solution and there is understanding and realistic expectations that this work takes time and will extend over multiple years. Company will deploy as many tools as possible to seed innovation and make change, gaining understanding and insight along the way. We named this Framework "1.0" because it will continue to evolve in response to this learning. The CEqO will have an influential and critical role in leading the organization to develop version 2.0 of the Race and Equity Framework and design strategic action efforts to create a sustainable infrastructure for DEI throughout the Institute.Candidate ProfileThe CEqO will bring deep expertise around DEI practices and principles with experience driving change and building culture in large, complex organizations. They will be a strategist, communicator, and facilitator who can create a vision and road map for achieving that vision, and the collective buy-in and accountability required to achieve organizational change.With the understanding that no one person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:Strategic Vision and LeadershipThe CEqO will be the primary architect in designing and executing an overarching plan for a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization. The CEqO will play an essential organizational leadership role and work in close collaboration with the senior leadership team and the President to assess current DEI plans and initiatives that will inform the Race and Equity Framework 2.0. In collaboration with staff, including affinity groups and the DEI council, the CEqO will create a common vision and language around DEI. This person will have a track record of advancing DEI, including race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability, ideally in a variety of sectors including nonprofit, private, and/or academic. They will have a proven ability to translate strategic thinking about complex challenges and organizational gaps into executable plans to deliver on strategic imperatives and solve problems large and small and measure progress toward goals.Change ManagementThe CEqO will be a change agent with a creative approach towards the development of new DEI strategies and initiatives. Moving the organization into the next phase of its DEI journey will require a change manager who is innovative, inspirational, and an effective communicator to excite and engage staff at all levels and areas of the institute. The CEqO will work to find effective, ongoing mechanisms for broad staff engagement and input on Company''s race and equity efforts. This leader will be a process thinker with the ability to leverage evaluation and analytics to measure impact while being flexible enough to respond to new priorities as they arise. They will advise on establishing clear, timely, and transparent metrics for the success of new processes, plans, and initiatives and will apply a rigorous approach to accountability. This person will have a demonstrable track record of success in driving organizational change and results, including in large, complex institutions. The CEqO will have a background in integrating DEI throughout organizational policies, practices, management, and culture. Additionally, as the lead in building capacity for organizational DEI strategies including budget, staffing, and discretionary funds, they will have experience managing complex projects and budgets.DEI Advocate and FacilitatorThe CEqO will be the lead advocate to the President and Board of Directors to champion the DEI efforts throughout Company. Through expert facilitation, this leader will coach and inspire Company staff to action around key efforts to advance a more equitable and inclusive culture. The CEqO will bring a nuanced knowledge of the evolving DEI landscape to advise all staff on best practices to enhance DEI goals throughout the ongoing efforts and operations of the organization. They will provide support and training to Vice Presidents and their staff as they progress in their learning and confidence to address issues related to DEI within their respective Centers. With a significant background as a thought leader in the field, they will bring experience in building learning and development systems that support and advance DEI munications and Relationship BuilderThe CEqO will be skilled at building trust and sustaining transparency with diverse constituencies throughout all levels of Company. They will be able to share a compelling vision for DEI that will generate enthusiasm and support. This leader will be a natural collaborator with an ability to work in partnership and motivate others across the Board''s DEI committee, staff DEI council, affinity groups, and Centers. This emotionally intelligent leader will successfully convey Company''s DEI mission, impact, and objectives. A thoughtful and patient communicator, they will strengthen Company''s efforts to establish shared norms and vocabulary around DEI. The CEqO will have an aptitude to take risks, see opportunities, and pivot when called for by circumstances.

Created: 2021-11-29